Autumn 1094 SR
Charlaine watched the coals die down. It was getting late, and darkness would soon descend, making work difficult. Smithing wasn’t only about striking glowing iron. Many smaller tasks required attention, and they needed the one thing that the night denied her: decent light.
She cast her eyes over to the tools, each in its proper place. Usually, such things made her feel pride at keeping a clean workspace, but tonight it only made the place feel barren.
Removing her apron, she advanced to the hook by the door, ready to hang it up, but before she could, it opened, revealing none other than Ludwig himself.
“Ah,” he said, “just the person I was looking for.”
Caught off guard, she fumbled for words. “I…”
“Let me speak,” he said, advancing into the workshop and closing the d
